Adjustable open-end wrench



Dec. 19, 1967 I v ALLRED 3,358,532

' ADJUSTABLE OPEN-END WRENCH Filed Jan. 26, 1966 INVENTOR ROBERT D. ALLRED Patented Dec. 19, 1967 3,358,532 ADJUSTABLE OPEN-END WRENCH Robert D. Allred, Toledo, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Nathan J. Schwartz, Toledo, Ohio Filed Jan. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 523,067 5 Claims. (Cl. 81-111) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An open-end wrench comprising a pair of jaws for receiving a nut, one of which is rigidly attached to the shank of the wrench and has a planar edge for contacting a nut, and the other of which comprises a plate in the shape of an irregular polygon having a plurality of planar edges, pivotally mounted on an axis which is perpendicular to the plate and parallel to the planar edge of the first jaw, the range of pivotal movement of the plate being sufiicient to bring each of a plurality of planar edges of the plate selectively into a position parallel to the planar edge of the first jaw, and each of such planar edges of the plate being at a different distance from the axis of pivoting.

The invention relates to an adjustable open-end wrench which is of the type having a pair of jaws that present parallel opposed edges closely fitting the parallel sides of a nut, but which is much more convenient to use than the known adjustable open-end wrenches. Also, the present wrench fits a nut as precisely as a standard nonadjustable open-end wrench.

In order that an open-end wrench may operate satisfactorily, it must fit the sides of the nut precisely. If the width between the jaws of an open end Wrench is only slightly greater than the proper width to fit a nut, the wrench will twist on the nut as soon as a substantial amount of forceis applied in an attempt to turn the nut. Such twisting of the wrench on the nut not only prevents the wrench from turning the nut, but also peens down the corners of the nut so as to spoil the nut.

Thus it is a requisite of an open-end Wrench that the jaws of the wrench present parallel edges which are precisely spaced to fit the sides of a nut. This is not a requisite of a pipe wrench, because a pipe wrench always has one jaw which is pivoted so as to clamp a pipe by means of a wedging action. Pipe wrenches in which a jaw is pivoted to produce a wedging action and is in the form of a concave or convex roller are disclosed in US Patents Nos. 172,365, 271,595, 861,719, 868,954, and 1,702,148.

In order to fulfill the fundamental requisite of an open-end wrench that the opposed edges of the jaws be parallel and precisely spaced, U.S. Patent No. 1,646,140 proposed the use of a series of shims which could be pivoted successively into position to narrow the spacing between the jaws of an open-end wrench. However, the use of such pivoted shims provides a construction which is complex and inconvenient to use.

The ordinary type of adjustable open-end wrench, in which one of the jaws is slidably adjustable by means of a nut operating upon a threaded stern, also is inconvenient to use. This type of wrench must be placed upon the nut before the adjustment can be made, and while the wrench is being adjusted great care must be taken to hold the fixed jaw of the wrench squarely against one side of the nut.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an adjustable open-end wrench which is much more convenient to use than those heretofore known, and which provides a precise fit of the jaws of the wrench upon the nut. More specific objects and advantages are apparent from the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable open-end wrench embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the jaws of the wrench.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

These specific drawings and the specific description that follows are intended to disclose and illustrate and not to limit the invention.

An open-end wrench embodying the invention comprises a shank 19 which serves as a handle and which terminates at least at one of its ends in a pair of jaws for receiving a nut. One jaw 11, having a planar edge for contacting a nut, is rigidly attached to the shank 10. The second jaw 12 comprises a plate 13 in the shape of an irregular polygon having a plurality of planar edges, pivoted on an axis which is perpendicular to the plate 13 and is parallel to the planar edge of the first jaw 11.

As shown in the patents mentioned above, it is known to employ, as one of the jaws of a pipe wrench, a roller which has a concave or convex face for gripping a pipe, and which is pivoted in such a way that when force is applied to the pipe wrench the roller turns to wedge the pipe between the jaws of the wrench. However, in the case of an open-end wrench, in which it is necessary that the opposed edges of the jaws be parallel so as to grip the parallel sides of a nut, the use of a pivoted member to form one of the jaws for gripping the parallel sides of a nut has not been uggested.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that a plate in the shape of an irregular polygon having a plurality of planar edges, pivoted on an axis which is perpendicular to the plate and parallel to the planar edge of a stationary jaw of an open-end wrench, can be used very advantageously to form the other jaw of the open-end wrench.

Although one of the principal functions of a roller forming a jaw of a pipe wrench is to turn when force is applied to the pipe wrench, the pivoted plate 13 in the present open-end wrench does not turn when the present wrench is being used to turn a nut. Instead, a planar edge of the pivoted plate 13 remains in close contact with one side of the nut, while the planar edge of the stationary jaw 11 remains in close contact with the opposite side of the nut, and the geometry is such that the pivoted plate 13 cannot turn when force is applied to the handle 10 in order to turn the nut. More specifically, the geometry is such that the angle between any planar edge of the pivoted plate and a plane passing through one end of such edge and through the pivotal axis is an acute angle.

An important feature of the present open-end wrench is that the axis upon which the plate 13 is pivoted is at a different distance from each of a plurality of planar edges of the plate. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the pivoted plate 13 is an irregular polygon having five sides. Thus the wrench can be adjusted very quickly and conveniently to fit a nut having any one of five different sizes, by simply swinging the plate 13 into a position in which the proper edge of the plate is parallel with the planar edge of the fixed jaw 11. Each of the five planar edges of the pivoted plate 13 may be marked if desired to show the size of nut which is accommodated when that particular edge is arranged parallel to the planar edge of the fixed jaw 11.

Preferably the plate 13 is pivoted between the prongs 14 of a fork upon a fiat headed screw 15. In order to make it easy to align each of the planar edges of the plate 13 parallel to the planar edge of the fixed jaw 11, a detent may be provided for selectively retaining the plate in each of its operating positions. For example, a recess 16 may be provided on the inner side of one of the prongs 14,

to receive a spring 17 for holding a ball detent 18 in one of several recesses 19 provided on the opposed face of the plate 13. The ball detent 18 serves to locate the plate 13, but offers only slight resistance to rotation of the plate.

The plate 13 shown in the drawings has five planar edges, and this plate may be moved quickly and easily to any of five different positions so as to adjust the wrench to fit precisely upon each of five sizes of nuts. A sixth size of nut may be accommodated by removing the fiat headed screw 15 and the plate 13 to permit the device to be used as an ordinary wrench without the plate 13.

In addition, the plate 13 may be replaced by another plate which is of the same general construction but which accommodates five additional sizes of nuts. By providing a series of such alternative plates, the wrench may be used to fit any desired number of nut sizes.

Also a plate 13 may have one of its planar sides located relatively close to the axis of pivoting, so that the distance between such side and the axis of pivoting is not more than the distance between such axis and the inner edge of the fork between the prongs of which the plate is pivoted. Then when that side of the plate 13 is turned toward the stationary jaw 11, the plate 13 is wholly retracted between the prongs 14 of the fork to permit the wrench to be used as an ordinary wrench without removal of the plate 13.

The handle of the wrench may be of any convenient length. Also, the Wrench may be constructed as a doubleend wrench having at the other end of the handle 10 a jaw structure similar to the jaws 11 and 12 which are shown in the drawings, to enable the wrench to accommodate twice the number of nut sizes.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. An open-end wrench comprising a shank which serves as a handle and which terminates at least at one of its ends in a pair of jaws for receiving a nut, one of the jaws being rigidly attached to the shank and having a planar edge or contacting a nut, characterized in that the second jaw comprises a plate in the shape of an irregular polygon having a plurality of planar edges, piv- A otally mounted on an axis which is perpendicular to the plate and parallel to the planar edge of the first jaw, the range of pivotal movement of the plate being sufiicient to bring each of a plurality of planar edges of the plate selectively into a position parallel to the planar edge of the first jaw, and each of such planar edges of the plate being at a different distance from the axis of pivoting.

2. An open-end wrench according to claim 1 comprising a fork between the prongs of which the plate is pivoted, the clearance between the fork and the first jaw of the wrench great enough so that each of a plurality of planar edges of the plate, when arranged parallel to the planar edge of the first jaw, extends beyond the fork toward the first jaw.

3. An open-end wrench according to claim 2 wherein a ball detent is provided in one of the prongs of the fork, and a plurality of indentations are provided on theplate, each of which is engaged by the ball detent when theplate is positioned with one of its planar edges parallel to the planar edge of the first jaw.

4. An open-ende wrench according to claim 1 comprising a detent for selectivelyretaining the plate in each of a plurality of positions in which one of its planar edges is parallel to the planar edge of the first jaw.

5. An open-end wrenchaccording to claim 1 wherein the angle between any planar edge of the pivoted plate and a plane passing through one end of such edge and through the pivotal axis is an acute angle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 172,365 1/1876 Adams et al. 81-180 X 580,429 4/1897 Snyder 81-110 X 651,574 6/1900 Meredith 81-98 1,197,661 9/1916 Ponton 81-98 2,197,128 4/1940 Harrison 81-111 X 2,721,493 10/1955 Bergland 81-179 2,733,625 2/1956 Warren 81-98 3,095,769 7/1963 Weinstein 81-111 X MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN OPEN-END WRENCH COMPRISING A SHANK WHICH SERVES AS A HANDLE AND WHICH TERMINATES AT LEAST AT ONE OF ITS ENDS IN A PAIR OF JAWS FOR RECEIVING A NUT, ONE OF THE JAWS BEING RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE SHANK AND HAVING A PLANAR EDGE OR CONTACTING A NUT, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT THE SECOND JAW COMPRISES A PLATE IN THE SHAPE OF AN IRREGULAR POLYGON HAVING A PLURALITY OF PLANAR EDGES, PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON AN AXIS WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLATE AND PARALLEL TO THE PLANAR EDGE OF THE FIRST JAW, THE RANGE OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE PLATE BEING SUFFICIENT TO BRING EACH OF A PLURALITY OF PLANAR EDGES OF THE PLATE SELECTIVELY INTO A POSITION PARALLEL TO THE PLANAR EDGE OF THE FIRST JAW, AND EACH OF SUCH PLANAR EDGES OF THE PLATE BEING AT A DIFFERENT DISTANCE FROM THE AXIS OF PIVOTING. 